Burning Candles…. The Correct Way

DID YOU KNOW!

Now, did you know, that there is a correct, and thus incorrect, method to burning candles? *insert shocked emoji here*

I did not know this! Candles are awesome, particularly hand poured candles with all their gorgeous smells and overall cuteness, but! I hated burning them. They would get lit once, a dip would appear around the wick and the wick would disappear down inside the tunnel. They just didn’t look as pretty and didn’t seem to light properly the next time. So, to me candles only lasted one burn. It was better to let them sit on the shelf, looking and smelling pretty and collecting a layer of dust then to burn them once and have a half-melted candle that I was never sure quite what to do with.

BUT THERE ARE WAYS TO BURNING CANDLES SO THEY STAY PRETTY!! DID YOU KNOW THIS!?!

I will stop emoting at you now and tell you the secret candle-burning tricks that they do not teach you in school.

3 tips to burning candles correctly:

1. Trim the wick – apparently, trimming the wick to about 1/4″ makes for a nicer burn, as a long wick burns weirdly. (I’m paraphrasing majorly here, but I’m keeping it simple for you. Trim the wick. Use nail clippers. You’ll thank me later)
2. The first burn MATTERS – according to some, wax has memory. Again, I did not know this and while I am now quoting Olaf in my head, I will stick to the facts. For the first burn, the whole of the top of the candle needs to be melted. This will stop tunneling and the candle will burn nicely from here on out. It could take a couple of hours, so make sure that you have enough time before lighting it. (Not me only realizing that after I already lit the candle, and I had to leave the house soon after. Fudge buckets) 
3. Do NOT blow out – instead, pinch out. Blowing out creates smoke, leaving a not nice smell after all the nice smells from the candle and can scatter ash through the wax. (Again, not me trying to pinch it out and getting some of the wick stuck on my finger. Which, in case you’re wondering, did continue to burn while attached to my skin. If you know a safer way to put out a candle that doesn’t involve the burning of my flesh, please leave a comment and let me know!)

A few extra tips:

If it’s a wide candle, make sure that there are multiple wicks, or the first burn won’t be as successful. And if your candle tunneled, you could use a hairdryer or a low oven to melt the wax even again. If the wax covers the wick just scoop it out before lighting again. Because I had to blow out my candle too soon, I put it in a low oven, and it evened out beautifully! Using a plastic fork, I scooped out all the dust that had accumulated during my avoidance of candle burning. It was remarkably satisfying, and made the candle look pretty and pristine again. 

I tried all these tips on a Ruby Lights candle that I bought a long time ago but been too scared to burn. And they work! I have unlocked the secret of proper candle etiquette! And now all the unburnt candles sitting sadly around my house can fulfil their wonderfully smelly destiny and live with joy once again xox 

Author’s note:

I tried this on a cheap candle from Kmart, and it didn’t work. Despite me burning it for hours only a narrow section of wax melted, and it started tunneling straight way. So maybe the quality of the wax matters? This is the perfect reason (reason, not excuse) to treat yourself to that beautiful candle that you love but not sure you could justify. In this case it will be worth it